It has been proposed to use fluorinated poly(arylene ethers) for electronic applications, such as insulators or passivation layers in multilayer integrated circuit devices or multichip modules. Mercer, WO 91/09070 (1991); Mercer et al., WO 91/16369 (1991). Their advantages include chemical inertness, low dielectric constant, insensitivity to ambient humidity, and ease of coating over a substrate.
Fluorinated poly(arylene ethers) may be crosslinked to improve solvent resistance and/or help preserve mechanical properties at elevated temperatures. Bis-triazene crosslinking agents whose triazene groups decompose upon heating and form reactive crosslinking sites have been used. Lau et al., WO 91/09087 (1991); Mercer et al., WO 91/09081 (1991) and WO 91/09071 (1991). It has also been proposed to use oligomers which are crosslinkable via reactive terminal groups. Mercer et al., WO 91/16370 (1991). Copending, commonly assigned U.S. application Ser. No. 07/943,093, filed even date herewith, discloses the crosslinking of fluorinated poly(arylene ethers) with 1-[(hydroxyphenoxy)]phenylenetriazenes.
Other polymers, such as poly(ether ketones), poly(sulfones), and poly(ether imides), can also benefit from crosslinking, either to improve high temperature mechanical properties or solvent resistance.
Also of interest is Hedrick, Polym. Bull. 25 (5), 543-550 (1991), which discloses the synthesis of poly(aryl ether oxadiazoles) which are melt or solution processable.
We have discovered new compounds which are utilizable as comonomer or end-cappers for the preparation of many polymers and which contain a thermally reactive crosslinking site.